We rank second for asylum seekers

IRELAND has the second highest number of asylum seekers per head of population in the European Union, according to latest figures.

Almost three in every 1000 people living in the State is an asylum seeker, it emerged as Ruud Lubbers, the UN’s High Commissioner for Refugees called on the EU to share more evenly the distribution of refugees.

Of the EU countries, only Austria has a greater number of asylum seekers per 1000 living within its borders than Ireland, which is tied at second place with Belgium on 2.7 per thousand.